Swivel coupling



April 23, 1957 c. N. BEBINGER 2,789,681

SWIVEL COUPLING Filed May 16, 1955 2 Shets-Sheot 1 Laws v INVENTOR= CHARLES N. BEBINGER .Md W

\ i i ATTORNEY April 23, 1957 c. N. BEBIINGER SWIVEL COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l6, 1955 ATTORNEY walls oflthe opposite recesses.

SWIVEL COUPLING Charles N. Bebin ger, New Philadelphia, Ohio, assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,375

3 Claims. (Cl. 198-95) This invention relates to couplings and more particularly to swivel couplings for connecting two members such as conveyors for swinging movement relative to each other.

In underground mining operations it is now quite common practice to deliver the material being mined from the mine room to a point more remote therefrom by means of 'an extensible belt conveyor. It is also common practice to employ a bridge conveyor or so-called piggy-back for conveying the material from a continuous mining machine or loader to the extensible belt conveyor. In such systems of mining it is very important that there be free swinging movement between the conveyors and the miner or loader to efiect the necessary maneuverability in the mine. The present invention relates more specifically to an improved swivel coupling between, for example, the respective ends of a bridge conveyor and the delivery andof a miner or loader and the receiving end of a room conveyor whereby there can be a range of swing of up to 180 between the bridge conveyor and the apparatus at either end of it.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved coupling of this general type which is rugged and durable in construction and which will allow swinging movement between the bridge conveyor and its delivery and receiving mechanism of up to 180 while insuring the proper delivery of material between them.

In each of the two embodiments of the present invention which are illustrated in the drawings, there is provided a plate which is cut away to provide a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending recesses and a pair of arcuate surfaces which are the extensions of the outer In each case there is a guide rib carried by the plate coaxial with the aforementioned surfaces and spaced outwardly therefrom (i. e. struck on longer radii). In each case there is provided a pair of ,transversely spaced pins which are receivable alternatively in the recesses but are positioned so as not to contact the arcuate surfaces provided by the cutting away of the plate and thus not to act to guide the parts during swinging movement thereof relative to each other.

'In each case the pins have in fixed relation to them a part underlying the plate to prevent separative movement between the plate and an overlying member and in each case there is provided a structure engageable with the .guide ribs and coacting with the latter to guide the relative swinging of the parts without as aforementioned any cooperation between the pins and the arcuate surfaces for that purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed de- 'scription of my invention when read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing a bridge con- 'veyor connected between the delivery end of. a loading machine and a room conveyor by means of swivel cou- "plings designed and constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken on the plane of line 22 on Fig. 1, however on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the plane of line 44 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal transverse sectional view taken on the plane of line 5--5 on Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 66 on Fig. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, there is illustrated in Fig. 1 a bridge conveyor designated generally by the reference numeral 10 secured between the delivery end of a loading machine 11 and a main or room conveyor 12. Reference will be made more specifically to the couplings between the bridge conveyor and the loader and room conveyor hereinafter as the description of my present invention unfolds. It should be mentioned at this point however, that it is not intended that the swivel coupling of the present invention be limited to its use in the above arrangement as it could be used in other systems, as for example for coupling the delivery end of a continuous miner to a bridge conveyor, and further that the term room conveyor as used herein refers to any of the conventional type endless conveyors using either a chain or belt for moving material from one point to another. Likewise, although there is illustrated a chain type 96 and being provided with a suitable take-up device 97;

it will be understood that an endless belt type bridge conveyor could be coupled in a similar manner.

Referring now specifically to the coupling between the delivery end of the bridge conveyor and the room conveyor, a dolly 13 is mounted for longitudinal movement along the top of the conveyor 12 by means of pairs of wheels 14-, 14- and 15, 15 which are suitably journaled for free rotation on the respective shafts 16 and 16 secured to the depending side frames 17 and 18 of the dolly, riding on a pair of rails 19 and 20 carried adjacent the top of the room conveyor (Fig. 4). A horizontally disposed plate 21 extends between and is secured to the upper edges of the side frame members 17 and 18 of the dolly and is cut away to form transversely spaced recesses 22 and 23 at the rearward end thereof, as seen best in Fig. 2. Plate 21 is cut away further to extend the outer surfaces 24 and 25 of the respective recesses 22 and 23 in an arcuate path for approximately These arcuate surfaces cross, so to speak, intermediate their ends with the plate being cut away forward of this crossing point to ,provide grooves 26 and 27 whose outer surfaces are the aforementioned surfaces 24 and 25.

A pair of transversely spaced pins 30 and 31 secured to the lower plate 32 of the bridge conveyor are positionable in the recesses 22 and 23 when the bridge conveyor and the room conveyor are longitudinally aligned. Pins 30 and 31 are provided adjacent their lower ends with outwardly extending lips 34 and 35 which underlie a portion of the plate 21 adjacent the surfaces 24 and 25 thereof, and it can be seen that with the lips 34 and 35 so positioned, the bridge conveyor cannot be accidentally displaced vertically during the swinging movement of the conveyors relative to each other. Plate 21 is provided however with cut-away portions 36 and 37 corresponding in size to the lips 34 and 35 with the result that the conveyors can be uncoupled by merely moving the bridge conveyor longitudinally with respect to the dolly to a veyor until the lower end of the pins are above the surface of plate 21.

A pair of transversely spaced guide blocks and 41 .are secured to the underside of the base plate 32 of the bridge conveyor and also to the pin 30 and 31 while a pair of wheels 42 and 43 are carried adjacent the sides ofthe bridge conveyor on shafts 44 which are suitably journaled in upstanding brackets 45 and 46. The lower portion of the wheels project through openings 47 and 48 provided in the base plate 32 of the bridge conveyor and each of the guide blocks respectively, with the lower periphery thereof traveling on the upper surface of plate 21 adjacent the surface 24 and 25. A pair of arcuate ribs 54 and 55 are secured to the upper surface of plate 21 the inward side surfaces thereof conforming to an arc struck on the same axes as the surfaces 24 and 25, i. e. the vertical axes of pins 30 and 31 when positioned intheir respective recesses 22 and 23. The guide blocks 40 and 41 are provided with arcuately shaped outer side surfaces 56 and 57, which surfaces are engageable with theinner guide or cam surfaces 58 and 59 of the respective ribs 54 and 55 to thereby guide the flight conveyor in'its swinging movement relative to the extensible belt conveyor. Blocks 40 and 41 are also provided with arcuatelower surfaces 60 with the result that the bridge conveyor 10'can tilt so to speak with relation to the dolly 13'until'the outer edges of these arcuate surfaces contact plate 21 of the dolly. This tilting movement normally occurs only when the bridge conveyor is swung to such an angular position with respect to the dolly that the weight of the overhanging portion of the bridge conveyor would cause such tilting.

As can be seen particularly in Fig. 2, the ribs 54 and 55 are constructed in two parts with a short space therebetween adjacent the entrance to the respective grooves 27 and 26 formed in the guide plate with the result that as the bridge conveyor is swung relative to the room conveyor, the pins and guide blocks can move freely throughtheir complete arc of about 90. It might also be noted that the guide blocks are of suflicient length to allow the cam surfaces 56 and 57 thereof to span the space between the two parts of the respective ribs 54 and 55 to thereby prevent any so-called cross-tracking.

In operation, when the bridge conveyor and the room conveyor are in longitudinal alignment, the pins 30 and 31 carried'on the underside of the bridge conveyor are positioned'in their respective recesses 22 and 23 in the plate 21 carried on the dolly 13 of the room conveyor.

When the bridge conveyor is moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, pin 31 remains in the recess 23 while the pin 30 moves along but generally free of contact with surface 24 as the guide block 40 moves in camming engagement with the surface 58 of the rib 54. Continued swinging of the bridge conveyor moves pin 30 into the groove 26 provided in the plate 21 thereby allowing a swing of 90 in that direction from the aforementioned longitudinally aligned position.

As the bridge conveyor is swung in the opposite direction, it can be seen that the pin 31 will remain in the recess 23 while the guide plate 41} moves in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, until the pin 30 engages the end surface of recess 22 at which time the conveyors will again be in longitudinal alignment. Continued swinging movement of the bridge conveyor in this direction results in pin 30, acting as a pivot while the outer surface 57 of the guide block 41 engages the cam surface of rib 55.

The swivel coupling between the receiving end of the bridge conveyor and the delivery end of the loader is similar to that of the delivery end of the bridge conveyor however in the illustrated embodiment with the guiding ribs carried on the underside of the-plate as illustrated specifically in Figures Sand 6. The plate in this instameisseeureain' spaced relation to the top plate 64 of the frame of the bridgeconveyor by suitable means ribs 74 and 75 are secured beneath the plate65 andQ'as was the case with ribs 54 and 55, they are interrupted intermediate their ends to provide a free path for the guide blocks as will be apparent hereinafter.

The delivery end of the loader 11 is provided with projecting pins and 81 which are engageable with G clamps 82 and 83 which are secured to the upper surface of a relatively narrow transversely extending plate 84. Plate 84 is in turn secured to a similarly shaped plate 85 by means of pins or bolts 86 and 87 which lie adjacent the surfaces 69 and 70 of the plate 65. A'pair of guide blocks 88 and 89 are secured to the upper surface of plate 85 as well as to the pins 86 and 87 with the outer arcuate edges 90 and 90' respectively thereof engageable with the cam surfaces 91 and 92 of the ribs 74 and 75 respectively. It can be seen therefore that as the loader is swung relative to the bridge conveyor, the plates 84 and 85 move as a unit with the pins 86 and 87 positionable for pivotal movement in the recesses 67 and'68 and the blocks 88 and 89 guiding the swinging movement thereof depending upon which direction'they are moved and in a manner similar to that described with respect to the movement between the delivery end of the bridge conveyor and the room conveyor.

From the foregoing description of the two embodiments of my novel swivel coupling herein illustrated it can be seen that I have provided a coupling which is very rugged and durable in construction, however one which can be easily and economically produced. It should be understood of course that while there are in the present application specifically described two embodiments which the invention may assume in practice, these are disclosed for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied and practiced in various other forms and ways without departing from its spirit or thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A swivel coupling for connecting conveyor elements which are disposed one above the other for swinging movement relative to each other, comprising a plate carried by the lower of said conveyor elements and 'having a pair of transversely spaced recesses formed therein, a pair'of transversely spaced pins secured to the upper of said conveyor elements positionable in said recesses, said plate being cut away to form arcuate surfaces extending one from an outer surface of each of said recesses, a pair of arcuate ribs secured to the upper'surface of 'said plate, one adjacent each of said arcuate surfaces and spaced equidistant therefrom throughout the length thereof, transversely spaced means "2. A swivel coupling as set forth in claim 1 in which said last means includes a pair of transversely spaced" wheels carried by said upper conveyor.

3. 'A swivel coupling for connecting for swinging movement of wide angular range about upright axes, elements of 'a conveying system which are disposed'one above the other, said coupling comprising a'plate having a pair of transversely spaced recesses formedtlier in, said recesses having outer surfaces, pivot elements one receivable in one of said recesses and the other in the other of said recesses, said plate being cut away along iarcuate lines and thereby providing arcuate surfaces constituting continuations of the outer surfaces of said recesses and extending through wide arcs and each struck from the pivot axis of a different one of the pivot elements when the latter is seated in its corresponding recess, said surfaces intersecting each other at a point intermediate the ends thereof, means forming guideways in said plate element struck from the same axes as said second mentioned surfaces but on longer radii, and guide elements coacting with said guideways and movable therealong for maintaining said pivot elements each in its corresponding recess while pivoting is taking place about such pivot element, each of said guideways defining gap portions adjacent said point of intersection for permittting the extension of each of said surfaces beyond said point away from its corresponding recess, said guide element having means thereon for bridging said gap portions during movement of the same along said guideways and through said point.

Davis Apr. 29, 1947 Gleeson July 22, 1952 

